Just came back from another Cambodia round trip. Here a brief update n the formalities at the Hat Lek border into Cambodia.

1.) I still recommend to prepare three signed copies of your green book page with your name as the current owner, and three signed copies of your passport main page. This is what you need in Aran/Poipet and most other border points to produce. You might not need them, but better to have them with you when you do not need them rather not having them if you need them.

2.) another recommendation is to know where your VIN is and engine number (can be very tricky if you have mud plates and crash bars all over the place like me). Most of the time nobody asks, but sometimes they do and that is the time where it gets painful, I tell you. Same with the driving licence. In fact, I copy the driving licence (Thai) with the green book and the passport on the same page just in case what always worked so far. Fact is, as best you are prepared with all papers in place, as more professional you appear in your approach, as lesser the chance somebody will try something funny. So do your homework and put everything nicely together in a folder. I had friends who really struggled for hours on these border points and got fleeced for some money on the way.

3.) At Hat Lek most of the forms work for customs and for TM 2 - 4 is now automated / computerised by the Immigration posts. When I arrived on June 9th 2016, I was asked first to park the bike on the left side just where the exit immigration point is to get my exit stamp in my passport at the first booth at the left side (2 minutes) . Keep the bike parking where it is and walk 8 meters to the customs booth also on the left side in the same row of rooms, a guy will take your green book and enter the details into the computer. He only asked for one copy of the green book (5 minutes). He will give you a small card as proof you finished that station. You cross then to the other side of the road to the vehicle immigration booth (the small window all to the left) where a girl is taking your green book and passport again and is hacking all the details into the computer. She will asked for 20 THB fee, what is more than fair for all the stupid work to fill in TM 2 - 4. She will also give you a card to show proof that you finished that station. (5 minutes) You walk then back to your bike with the two cards, your passport and green book and documents you have received at hand and slowly drive to the border post where the black military guys/soldiers are waiting for you for the final check. You give them the two cards and what ever document they want to see. They asked where I'm going and 2 minutes later I was in nowhere's land. The Cambodian side is easy as well, only the visa application (30 USD (best you have crispy fresh 20 and 10 USD notes) and do not pay any 'assistance fees' to the guys who are trying to offer their service to you) and immigration stamp needs to get done at the immigration point on the left side. The two rooms are just adjacent to each other (10 minutes). Please note, Cambodia has no foreign vehicle registration or insurance process (yet), however, officers from custom office will try to approach you and ask you for import permits or whatever BS, what can make your life suddenly very difficulty and is all about money at best. Best park your bike on the left curb (where the immigration point is) and not on the right curb where the customs office is and move swiftly on after you have received your stamp in the passport. Answer earnest but polite in case customs officers are approaching you that there are no import requirements for motorcycles in Cambodia. The complete border crossing time was done is less than 40 minutes for me. Well, I got lucky it was around 13:00 an there where not so many people at the immigration points as the morning visa runners left already and the afternoon backpackers had not arrived yet.

Fact is, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand recently signed some agreements where you can request for some special border crossing papers at your car registration office which supposingly allows you to cross with a Thai registered car into Cambodia without much do. I will do some more research on this and will try it out sometimes in the future with our family car.

Staff Member

I love the new computerized immigration system - now if that could be be implicated at all the land border crossings that would make life so much easier; because the current immigration hand written form system is painful & dinosaur-al. Customs have been computerized for years & if you've been across the border before in a minimum of 6 months your details are still in the computer & so so easy to pop up & print out a new form with new dates & border crossings details. Love it - simple.

Re photocopies I usually have 3 sets ready. 2 for the Thai side & 1 for the Laos side.